NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. — In the five years since a Providence-based developer proposed installing a wind farm off the Block Island coast and laying a cable that would connect to the mainland power grid, the island has only grown more divided about the pr

NEW SHOREHAM, R.I. — In the five years since a Providence-based developer proposed installing a wind farm off the Block Island coast and laying a cable that would connect to the mainland power grid, the island has only grown more divided about the project, residents said at a public hearing on Monday.

Some speakers at the hearing before a subcommittee of the state Coastal Resources Management Council argued that Deepwater Wind has overstated the economic and environmental benefits of the project and that it would irretrievably mar the pristine views that are so valued on their tiny island off the Rhode Island coast.

Others countered that the proposal would be a boon to residents by drastically reducing their electric rates — which are among the highest in the nation — and weaning them off the highly-polluting diesel generators that are now their only source of power.

But even the supporters conceded that there are tradeoffs that must be made for what could be the first offshore wind farm in the United States.

“Is this the best project? I don’t know,” said Fred Leeder, a longtime island resident. “But we need to start somewhere.”

About 100 islanders showed up for the afternoon hearing at the Block Island School, though attendance may have been low because it was school vacation week on the island. Thirty-one people spoke on the proposal, with 19 in support and 12 opposed.